Sage Mountain’s co-founder Lauren Lockey with plant based athlete Craig Gordon talked about health, movies, and how to live longer while being a better friend to our mother Earth. Click here for more information about the film What The Health.

Let me start by saying that I’m a small business owner and that we should do everything we can to buy and shop locally. Doing so does help stimulate the local economy with jobs and money that is kept and spent in the local community. This is true with most industries, however, there are some industries where the negative effects of buying local far outweigh the positive ones. One industry in particular is the food industry.

So what’s my beef with buying local food? My beef with buying local food is just that, beef. Animal based food productsincluding beef are so harmful to our local environment and the health of the people in our community that buying these products from local producers or national producers should not even be part of the conversation.

According to the UN, World Watch Institute, and numerous other organizations, animal agriculture is responsible for a significant amount of negative environmental impacts. These include waste runoff that pollutes lakes and rivers, ocean dead zones due to excessive amounts of nitrous oxide, wildlife habitat loss due to competition with farmed animals, and a huge portion of greenhouse gas emissions. Why would one want to buy locally produced animal products if the local environment is going to be polluted by those same products?

An article from the Carnegie Mellon Institute that studied that impact of greenhouse gas emissions found that an omnivore buying local food could only achieve a 5 to 6% reduction in emissions compared to an omnivore buying food from non local sources. This reduction would be the same if that same omnivore ate a plant based diet for one day a week. In other words, someone that switches to a plant based diet will reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 7 times that amount if he/she ate that way 7 days a week, and that’s from non-local sources. Even more reductions in emissions could be achieved by buying plant based foods from local sources.

Study after study has concluded that eating animal products is a sure way to increase your chances of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and numerous other common diseases. Not only will our local environment be compromised, but our community would will still be contracting the same diseases from locally produced animal products rather than animal based foods shipped from around the country or world. I’m not sure which is better, but I’m guessing if you asked a person with heart disease and type 2 diabetes,you may get some strange looks.

So, next time you think about buying local animal based foods, think twice about your local environment being polluted and your local hospital treating the local community that contracted diseases caused by eating locally produced animal products.

Choose plant based foods. Plant basedfoods shipped from anywhere on this planet or perhaps from the moon for that matter, are a much better choice than locally produced and processed animal products.

Once the decision has been made to eat plant only items, then yes, buy from your local farmers market or local produce from your local grocer, or perhaps just head down to your basement and grab some food being grown indoors, year round, without pesticides, and with a fraction of the water used in conventional methods in your home. Doesn’t get more local than that.

It has been about 1 month since 10 people finished the 10 day Plant Powered Challenge. Inspiration came from a film Sage Mountain, the Park City film series, and Vegfund hosted called “What The Health”. If you haven’t seen the film it can now be viewed on Netflix. The challenge, led by Kent Maurer, entailed consuming a whole food plant based diet for 10 days. All animal products such as meat, dairy, eggs, and fish were removed from their daily food choices. Everyone learned how and what to buy at the grocery store, how to order vegan meals at restaurants, watched educational films, attended a community potluck and met the animal ambassadors at Sage Mountain’s animal sanctuary, experienced a loving kindness meditation, went on a few hikes in Park City, received new recipes and daily emails from Kent about the momentum of this movement along with answers to any questions.

Lauren Lockey recently had the opportunity to interview one of the participants, Michelle Sharer. Michelle is 26 years old and grew up just outside of Boston. She moved to Salt Lake to be near the mountains, worked as a web developer for 3 years, and now is a yoga instructor.

LL: What sparked your interest and commitment to do 10 day challenge?

MS: I follow a lot of food blogs and Instagram accounts, and those had been inspiring me for a while to try this way of eating. I loved the idea of eating whole plants because even before I knew about the challenge I was already excited about avoiding processed foods. I also watched the Forks Over Knives documentary on Netflix. I knew the challenge would be a good way for me to be able to ask all of the questions I had about going plant based.

LL: What foods were you consuming before the challenge?

MS: Mostly everything. Lots of eggs. Dairy and meat too. I avoided processed foods and I was already a little bit crazy about reading ingredients on food labels.

LL: Did you notice any immediate changes within the first few days? negative or positive

MS: The very first thing I noticed was that coffee with almond milk tastes better than coffee with cows milk! Within the first few days of the challenge, I felt different, a little tired, because I was still learning what to replace the animal foods I’d been eating with, so I ended up consuming less overall. Now I eat more snacks and add more toppings and that helped a ton.

LL: Give a few examples of some new foods/meals you discovered during the challenge

MS: Banana ice cream completely blew my mind (one ingredient – frozen bananas). I still eat it every day and every time I want to cry tears of gratitude to nature and the existence of bananas. And there are so many choices for add-ins too! Dates, peanut butter, chocolate chips, vanilla extract, mango. My favorite breakfast is oatmeal. I literally go to bed every night excited for my peanut butter oatmeal in the morning. Another current obsession is toast – my two favorites are toast with hummus and raisins, and toast with avocado and salsa.

LL: Did you ever find yourself unsatisfied during the challenge?

MS: Actually, what’s cool is I eat my favorite foods every day now. Before, I felt like I had to limit myself on things like pizza, ice cream, etc. Now I feel like I’m indulging in every meal. I stuff my face with banana ice cream every day and it feels great.

LL: what activities do you enjoy? Did you find you had more or less energy during the challenge?

MS: I love rock climbing, yoga, and mountain biking. At the beginning of the challenge I think I had less energy, but I still attribute that to not eating enough calories, but now that I know how to manage that better I feel great in terms of energy level!

LL: Are you presently plant powered?

MS: Yes I am!

LL: What was the highlight during the 10 days?

MS: The pot-luck! It was really inspiring to see and taste all of the delicious home-cooked plant-based food, AND be surrounded by amazing, like-minded individuals!

LL: Do you plan to stay plant powered?

MS: Absolutely. I wish I had started sooner

LL: What would you say to those considering this lifestyle?

MS: It might feel hard or extreme, and there’s kind of a learning curve, but once you get the hang of it, it comes as naturally as ever. You’ll discover new and exciting things to try! Honestly, I enjoy eating more now than I did before. If someone is hesitant I would encourage them to start out by just changing one thing. Switching to almond milk or soy milk for example. Or try cooking one plant-based meal a week. Or jump in on Meatless Mondays. There are so many recipes and ideas out there and so many people who want to help you. The community embracing this way of eating is amazing right now.

You can follow Michelle on her plant powered adventures on instagramand facebook. Thank you Michelle for making such a positive impact on your health, the planet, and the lives of farmed animals and please continue to share your experience with everyone around you!!

Stay tuned for another challenge this fall. Also mark your calendars for Plant Based Utah’s first annual Nutrition symposiumthis October featuring Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Ann Esselstyn, and producer of “Cowspiracy” and “What The Health”, Keegan Kuhn!!

The students at Treasure Mountain Junior High learn about the power of plant-based nutrition

“How many of you think about where your food comes from?” A few students hesitantly raise their hands, most keep them down.

When most of us sit down to eat, about to sink our teeth into a burger, we see a burger, not a dead cow. Behind that seemingly innocent paper-wrapped circular mass of bread, vegetables and condiments, there is a sinister story that everyone who eats food needs to know.

Commuting around the Salt Lake Valley, our plant-based tribe is increasingly aware of an endless parade of livestock trucks, hauling animals to slaughterhouses. My stomach turns and I get nauseous at the sight of these trucks. I want to look away and ignore the problem, but my heart and my eyes look to connect with just one of the souls on board to say “I am sorry.”

Over the course of two days, Sage Mountain’s Lauren Lockey teamed up with local plant-based athlete Craig Gordon and Chris Shapard of the non-profit Factory Farming Awareness Coalition (FFAC) to educate hundreds of students on the benefits of a plant-based diet, and to raise awareness of the consequences and power of their everyday food choices.

The animal products people buy in restaurants and grocery stores have been so transformed that the animals who suffered and died for chicken wings, a hot dog, or slice of cheese, have been completely hidden behind a deceivingly benign image of a picturesque little farm on the package. Happy cows, smiling pigs, fish frolicking in the ocean… brilliant disconnected marketing ploys. What’s not included on those packages is the fact that 99% of animals today are raised on giant factory farms, and that billions of chickens spend their entire lives crammed into a cage with each having less space on average than a standard sheet of paper.

Students gasped when they learned that hundreds of millions of male chicks in the egg industry are ground up alive simply because they don’t produce any eggs and therefore they are of “no use” to the industry. Like most of us, the students didn’t think about the baby cows who are taken away from their mothers so that the baby’s milk can be sold for human consumption, and the billions of animals whose lives were cut drastically short because we have unconsciously prioritized our taste buds over their right to live. This is the story for those raised on small farms, factory farms, humane, cage free, organic, or grass fed.

The presentation also disclosed the immense environmental toll of animal agriculture. To produce a single beef patty, it takes upwards of 660 gallons of water. Animal agriculture is also a leading cause of deforestation, water pollution, and produces more greenhouse gasses than the entire transportation sector – a fact that resonates with all of us here in Utah whose winter wonderland is becoming increasingly threatened by rising temperatures.

The animal products that take such an immense toll on animals and our environment are killing us as well. Animal products cause heart disease, diabetes, and cancer and the students learned that the choices they make now determine their health in the future.

The students learned about about Pony Boy and Wilma Jean (or PB & J), who get to live out their lives in peace at the beautiful Sage Mountain sanctuary.

The good news is that the power is in our hands to fix these problems with the food choices we make everyday – and these students are the ones who will be leading the way. It is our responsibility to educate them and embrace their innate compassion. Even though we covered environment, health, and ethics equally, students were most impacted by the suffering animals endure. They realized they don’t want to be a part of it. We can choose compassion over convenience, health over habit, and sustainability over appetite. When we make the simple choice to eat plant-based foods instead of animal based foods, we are taking a stand for animals, people and our planet. We may not be able to see it, but when we choose plant-based foods, we can unlock the cage for countless other animals just like PB&J.

Please continue to follow Sage Mountain via Instagram and Facebook for individual interviews of students from Treasure Mountain!

This New Year I made the resolution to be more present in life. I’m not even sure what that entails but I must admit it does sound good. With this blog I’m going to try to touch on a few points of what it means to be more present and what steps to take in order to accomplish it.

A few weeks ago, I picked up a friend’s book and read a couple of chapters of what I would call a self empowerment book. In the first few pages there was a statement that went something like this, “Those who are anxious or worriedare thinking about the future and those that are depressed or sad are living in the past.”I thought that was a pretty good way to sum up how many of us live on a day to day basis..

Why do we put so much emphasis on the past and the future when all we have is the present? Is this the way the human mind works? Do animals live more in the present? I’m pretty sure my canine companions aren’t thinking about how upset they made me by eating the dead animal carcass earlier in the day and then going to do the same thing that evening. I can’t tell you how many times I have to raise my voice at them to get them come to me. At first they come in with heads hung low then minutes later go back to doing the same thing forgetting completely what just happened. As annoying as this is at times, it makes me wonder if we can learn something from their ability to be present. Plus, it’s hard to be too frustrated with these faces..

At least in modern society I believe humans have a huge problem with living in the present. Here in our country and in many other western nations there is a tendency to have a lot of outside pressure starting from an earlier age such as the need to get good grades in school, get into college or get a good job, get a raise or promotion at that job, find a spouse, buy a house, start a family. No wonder many of us walk around anxious or depressed for most of our lives. If we are lucky to live long enough and be fortunate enough, it isn’t until our later years in life until we finally have time to relax. Why should we have to wait until retirement until we can take a breather and enjoy life?

And, the problem is getting worse.

In the last decade or so we now have the ability to have all of the electronic information in this world at our fingertips with the ability to contact anyone anywhere with the touch of a button. For all the convenience the modern smart phone has brought us, it has made us even more anxious and depressed. I will admit that I do not have a Facebook, Instagram, or a Twitter account, and if you tried to call me, most of the time my phone is on silent so I won’t hear it. There is no living in the present when posting every detail of your day to a website while looking at all the details of everyone else’s day. Eventually the day will be over before any actual living is done.

So starting this New Year I would like to be more present. When I’m out skiing, biking, hiking, or doing whatever for that matter, I will try to look up more. Looking up at the sky is a great way to make time stop and let all the meaningless chatter in our life subside for a few moments. When in the company of friends and family, I will try even harder to really listen to them about their issues and be there for them when needed. While being present, no project or task is too difficult or overwhelming. The day becomes exciting the possibilities become endless.

I just had the opportunity to hear a talk from the world renowned Dr. Michael Greger. For those of you that may not know, Dr Gerger is a physician, author, and the founder of http://nutritionfacts.org/ a nonprofit science based website that provides articles and videos on the latest in nutrition research.

However, Dr. Greger is probably most well known for his New York Times bestselling book “How Not to Die”. During his talk he discussed in detail the main topic of his new book which in basic terms is how to prevent if not cure the main causes of death in our country. Out of the top 15 causes of mortality, it turns out that 14 out of the 15 causes we have quite a bit control over. I would like to stop for a second and mention that I’m not the one to just hear someone with social authority spew out some information and take it as fact. Dr. Greger uses science and the research to back his claims and that combination got my attention.

Take the top reason people die in United States, coronary heart disease killing an estimated 375,000 people per year. Numerous studies all point to poor diet being responsible for coronary heart disease. The only diet scientifically proven to successfully combat heart disease is a whole food plant based diet. His talk went on and discussed the next 14 causes of mortality and in every cause (except accidents) diet plays a crucial role. From cancer, kidney disease, all the way down to number 15, Parkinson’s disease, a plant based diet can prevent, stop, and many times even reverse these diseases. So, in effect most of the diseases that plague our society are in a many ways a choice not a happenstance.

After hearing his talk there was one question that came to mind, if this diet is so effective at decreasing the top 14 out of 15 reasons for mortality, why are we not hearing from all doctors to adopt this diet? Dr. Greger answered this by taking a trip back 60 years ago when smoking cigarettes was much more prevalent in our society. The vast majority of doctors at the time were not telling their patients that they should quit smoking because the vast majority of doctors were smoking themselves. In fact, there were doctors featured in ads for the tobacco companies.

Finally after more than 7000 studies, the top doctor in the country, the surgeon general, mandated that health warnings be put on cigarette packages. I ask you and your loved ones not to wait for 7000 studies to be conducted on diet and the effects is has on disease.

The science is there, the studies have been done, animal protein and animal products will promote disease and will shorten your life. Don’t you think the millions of Americans that died from diseases due to smoking wished they hadn’t waited for their doctor to tell them to quit? We have the opportunity to take our health into our own hands. I encourage you to act now and not wait until your doctor with no nutritional education tells you to change your diet. If you have the chance please read “How Not To Die” your life will most likely depend on it.

Every so often we are honored to highlight people within the Utah community who have made changes in their lifestyle, see the benefits, and seek to share it with others.

A few weeks ago I had the great opportunity to interview Andy Krumel who not only lost 15 pounds from reducing his consumption of animal products, but also feels happier and has more energy! Read below to find out more!

Sage Mountain:First, tell us a little about yourself.. Your name, age, where you are from, what you do, why you reside in Park City.

Andy Krumel: My name is Andy Krumel and I am 53 years old. I have lived in Park City for three years. Before that I lived in the San Francisco bay area where I worked in the software industry. We now live full time in Park City for the great life is provides: clean air, great outdoor activities, and a vibrant community.

SM: When and why did you decide to reduce your consumption of animal products?

AK:5/1/2016 – That is the date I heard Dr. Joel Fuhrman speak at the Park City library. He made a compelling case for changing my diet in so many ways that seemed easy and made scientific sense. One of his main points was to reduce animal product consumption to no more than 10% of ones diet to greatly reduce the risk of cancer.

SM: Wow that statement is quite compelling so what was the process like? Was it difficult for you to make these changes?

AK: My wife and I went to the grocery store that night, we needed to make a trip anyway, and loaded up on beans, walnuts, and vegetables. Meat and cheese were central to my eating habits before changing my diet. Now, I go many days in a row without eating any meat without conscious effort.

SM: How did your family/friends respond to you making these changes?

AK: No real reaction. This is not surprising given how many dietary restrictions people have these days.

AK: Changing to Dr. Fuhrman’s diet resulted in increased energy and I have lost 15 pounds. The decreased weight is strictly the result of the diet, for if anything I have increased the amount I eat and have not altered my exercise regimen. Oh, and my sense of smell seems to have improved which is nice since it has never been very good – really makes life more enjoyable.

SM: 15 pounds without altering your exercise?! I guess the statement is true that it’s 80% nutrition and 20% exercise huh? What do you eat on a typical day then?

AK: Breakfast: fruit smoothie (reduced amount due to diet), paleo granola, fruit, and nuts. Occasionally have an egg or cheese.

Lunch and dinner: some combination of vegetable soup, beans, and salads. Might have some meat when we go out to eat which is not very often. Surprisingly, we have found meal prep times are greatly reduced on the new diet. We make sure to include chia and flax seeds, raw onions, and cooked mushrooms daily.

SM: Do you exercise? Is it more often than before since you have more energy?

AK: For exercise I lift weights and run three miles 3x per week. During the summer I will go on several mountain bike rides in the mountains several times a week. During the winter we vigorously walk to the Park City Mountain resort on powder days!

SM: Have you visited a doctor since you have made these dietary changes? What are their thoughts?

AK: No doctor visits.

SM: How long did it take you to really “settle in” to this way of eating? Do you ever think about going back to how you ate before?

AK:Settled in from day one. Crazy considering how different the Fuhrman diet is from my previous eating habits. In my version, so as not to speak for what Dr. Fuhrman intended, I do not count calories or engage in any portion control. If I am hungry then I eat.

SM:Love that! It makes sense to eat when you are actually hungry! Do you plan to stick with it now that you have witnessed the benefits?

AK: Of course. There is no going back.

SM: What is your advice to those seeking to make changes in their diet?

AK: Go hear Dr. Fuhrman speak or read one of his books. He has a long history of working with patients with severe heart disease and has worked with premier medical research institutions to perform scientific studies concerning the effects of diet on heart disease and cancer rates. The results are simply stunning and eye opening.

SM: I agree! I was able to hear him speak last winter and he is super knowledgeable! Is there anything else you would like to add before we close?

AK: I have always been one of those people that could not fathom making dietary changes if I looked and felt healthy. Well, we should never stop striving for improvement and why shouldn’t diet be in that mix? The change was easy, I feel better, love the taste of our food, and I have increased confidence our lives will be active for longer.

SM:Thanks so much for your time Andy! Have fun mountain biking this summer!

Inspiring stories like Andy’s are happening around us all the time. Do you have a story? We enjoy sharing and spreading the love whether it be for your health, the environment, or the animals. We would love to hear from you! Never hesitate to contact us with questions or concerns in transitioning to a plant based lifestyle. We are here and excited to help in any way possible!

My name is Courtney, I’m a vegan nutritionist and a recent Utah-returnee living in Cottonwood Heights. It’s a funny story how I got to do a guest blog here: Lauren was my yoga teacher years ago in Park City, before either of us were vegan. When I moved back here, I found vegan roommates, one of whom knew Lauren and Sage Mountain very well. Long story short, I got to see her again for the first time in 10 years and here I am on the blog. Also an FYI: I’ll be the speaker at Sage Mountain’s Thirsty First Thursday at Zest on July 7th!

I’ve been vegan for about 10 years, and working as a nutritionist specializing in vegan nutrition, juice cleansing and overcoming overeating for about 8 years now. It’s an online-based business and I do my consultations over the phone and Skype, which is wonderful because it allows me to have, in addition to local clients, global clients. And I love talking with people about veganism all around the world!

For this blog, I wanted to share some tips from the perspective of a longtime vegan that might be helpful for others. I hope you find it helpful!

1.Eat a healthy, well-rounded diet and minimal junk food.The vast majority of people who end up with nutritional deficiencies or claim they don’t feel as good on a vegan diet are often not getting enough healthy foods and are eating too much junk food. It can also be because there is not enough variety in the diet. Make sure you’re getting a wide array of veggies, fruits, beans, seaweeds, nuts, seeds, oils, etc.

2.Amass a solid list of favorite recipes/meals. Whether you consider yourself someone who likes cooking or not, you need to invest some time trying new recipes and new meals, and figuring out what you like best. When people tell me they don’t know what to eat now that they’re vegan, that tells me they haven’t gotten any vegan recipe books, haven’t googled any vegan recipes online, and haven’t played around in the kitchen. It is a process of trial and error where we need to try a bunch of things, some of which we will like and some of which we won’t, but it will give us some staples that we can return to again and again. And if you’re not big on being in the kitchen, that’s fine–there are plenty of “simple vegan recipes” and “quick vegan meal recipes” that we can google.

3.Find community with likeminded people.Look for people who are likeminded and share a similar desire for veganism. They can be found through meetup.com in your city, or they may be found in an area-specific Facebook group. It’s lovely to find a local friend that you can frequent vegan cafes with or have over to make a meal, but don’t underestimate the power of being connected to people online. Join some forums and groups, ask questions, connect with people there. Share your fears and your insecurities about veganism, ask for tips. People love to help!

4.Learn about all aspects of veganism.I’d say there are four main categories of truth about why veganism is the ethical, loving, and moral way to live: health/well-being, animals, environment, and other welfare of other humans. If you’re only familiar with the details about one or a few of these aspects but not all of them, educate yourself on all of them. The more you know the truth about all factors, the more you receive that truth into your heart, and you can get to a place whereby because you know the truth so thoroughly, you simply can’t not be vegan.

5.Work on your people-pleasing issues.One of the biggest challenges for most people in being vegan is the pressure they often feel to be “normal” and eat like other people eat. We can be susceptible to guilt-trips from others about us being difficult or high-maintenance, or we feel we don’t want to stand up for ourselves and what we need to take care of ourselves within our veganism. This is an issue that is unavoidable to work out if we’re going to stay vegan long-term. There cannot be any circumstance, any guilt-trip, any social climate that would cause us to cave and eat animal products, and the way that we’re going to create that is by working on the emotional reasons why we care what others think of us in this particular way. Don’t people-please with your eating.

6.Examine emotions that may create cravings.It doesn’t happen for everyone, but some people who have recently gone vegan will eventually face something internally that will cause them to be tempted to eat animal products. We’ve already discussed the people-pleasing related emotions that can cause this, but be aware of other ones too. They can be fears about it being unhealthy or apathy about the importance of vegan. Allow yourself to be self-reflective of feelings that may cause you to want to eat animal products.

I hope this helps! If you’re interested in chatting with me about the possibility of coaching, please visit my website-you can email me directly there! I’m also on all social media under my name.

Courtney Pool

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A comprehensive article about everything on going vegan can be found here from our friends at Positive Health Wellness.

Since making the choice to be vegan many years ago, my visits to the grocery store have become second nature. I know exactly what to buy! Of course I add a few new items here and there but the bulk of it stays relatively consistent. It wasn’t easy in the beginning though. I had already been vegetarian since age 11 but giving up dairy such as cheese pizza and cream in my coffee, six years ago, left me kicking and screaming! Dairy coffee creamer was the last thing to go but once making the switch I never looked back!

Changing any habit can be daunting and difficult. So whether you have eliminated animal products completely from your diet or have reduced your consumption, great job!!! Keep it up because you will not regret it!

Being vegan does not mean you have to break the bank or buy ALL Organic. Nor does it mean munching lettuce or preparing some elaborate meal that takes 2-3 hours. It’s actually quite simple and plant based foods are becoming more reasonable and mainstream. You WILL NOT feel deprived! You WILL feel strong, healthy, and satisfied!

For the vegan, vegetarian, “reducetarian,” or those who are contemplating taking this easy step, you will find a grocery list below of very basic items (and not so basic items) to keep stocked in your kitchen. You do not need to purchase everything you see listed! I wanted to offer a variety of my favorites! I put a star(*) next to items I feel are necessary staples. Certain foods obviously go bad so mix and match every few visits because it’s chalk full of delicious-ness!

Produce(seasonal fruits and veggies)

This would be the one section to buy organic IF you can! The best option is to head to your local farmer’s market because nothing tastes better! But do what you can. NO STRESS! Have fun here because with such a wide variety, you can’t go wrong. There are so many benefits to eating fruits and veggies!

Enjoy the journey as your eyes and taste buds discover a whole new world of foods even beyond the list above! That’s the beauty of embracing a vegan lifestyle. It never gets old and there is always something new on the horizon!